Places › Arkansas › Jonesboro

Living in Jonesboro, AR

Small city in Arkansas

Jonesboro is a small city in Arkansas, home to about 79,000 people, with 163,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Jonesboro a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $214k and rents for $1,400 a month
  • Low taxes: about $902 state income tax per resident, 0.58% property tax
  • Easy flying: MEM is 66 mi away
  • Dog-friendly: 5 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 163,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer family amenities than most places

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Jonesboro ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
79,000
163,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
49°F / 90°F
Average daily highs · 4″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$214k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,400/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
86
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$902
State income tax per resident · 0.58% property tax
Safety
1.8× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
13 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
30%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
MEM
66 mi away

Living in Jonesboro: common questions

What is the cost of living in Jonesboro?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $214k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,400 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 86, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Jonesboro?

Arkansas collects about $902 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.58% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Jonesboro safe?

Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.8× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Jonesboro?

Jonesboro has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 90°F, with roughly 4″ of snow a year.

Does Jonesboro get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from earthquakes, tornadoes and flooding: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 3.18 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Jonesboro?

The nearest major airport is MEM, about 66 mi away.

How Jonesboro scores

Each bar compares Jonesboro with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Quiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Car essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Strong culture scene Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Cool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Slow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Excellent
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Below average
🎓Education Below average
🧸Kids & family Poor
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Poor
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Higher crime
🌪️Few natural disasters Average
☀️Sunny Average
🌤️Mild summers Average
✈️Airport Good

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Is Jonesboro right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.